Lost and Found
by MLEther
Summary: SQ/AU (aka no magic, no curse). Regina and Emma meet at the age of 13 on a beach and become fast friends until Cora takes Regina away. 20 years later, Henry shows up in Emma's life and tells her that she is his birth mother. Upon returning him, she discovers his adoptive mother is Regina, but much changed. Emma is determined to help Regina and prove her love.
1. Chapter 1

**AU (aka, still takes place in Storybrooke, no magic, no curse). **

**A/N: Greetings, friends!**

**This story was initially meant to be a one-shot, but then as I continued to write, I realized the word count would definitely exceed one-shot status, so it's going to be a multi-chapter fic. I'm still uncertain as to how long it will be, but I like the idea and I'm just going to roll with it. **

**I would love to hear your opinions- all comments, questions, and criticisms are welcome. **

**Enjoy!**

_I'm lost_, she thought as she looked frantically around the beach for her parents. Bringing her fingers to her mouth she began biting her nails as her eyes scanned the various people on the beach, none of them looking familiar. She had gotten in a fight with her mother and stormed off seeking some alone time. By the time she calmed down she was in a completely foreign part of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

Not knowing what else to do, she sat down in a huff as tears began rolling down her face. _Mother is going to kill me_, she sobbed to herself looking down at the sand leaking into her clothes.

A few feet away, a small blonde sat decorating a sand castle with cigarette butts- feeling happy she finally had some time alone. Her foster parents probably didn't even notice she was gone, but that was okay- she'll be placed with a different family in a couple weeks anyway. She hummed to herself as she picked some rusty washers out of the pockets of her overalls and placed them around one of her sand turrets. As she placed the last washer on the turret, it crumbled to the ground. _God damn it_, she whispered. She sat back pushing her hands into the sand and looked around, then she saw her: a small brunette girl sitting with her knees to her chin a few feet away.

She saw that the brunette was alone and crying, _she must be lost_, thought the little blonde. Standing up and brushing off the sand from her scrawny limbs, the blonde looked down at herself and suddenly noticed how she was dressed. She wore hand-me-down cut-off overalls that covered an ugly hand-me-down maroon and blue striped tank top with straps that never seemed to want to stay on her shoulders. She looked at the other girl with her soft, baby blue sundress with matching sandals and suddenly felt self-conscious. _She must be rich_, thought the blonde, _she wouldn't want my help_. She tilted her head down to look at her castle, but then another soft sob echoed to her ears from the young brunette and she made up her mind. _Rich or not, people shouldn't be sad_. And so the blonde brushed off the rest of the sand, pulled up the straps of her tank top with a snap and marched across the sand until she stood before the huddled form of the brunette.

"Why are you crying?" asked the blonde. The brunette's head jerked up and she quickly brushed away the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm not crying," she said straightening her neck and tilting her chin upwards. The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure," she said snapping her straps back into place and resting her hands on her boney hips, "so what're you doin' out here alone?"

"Is it wrong for one to _sit_ on the beach? Is that not what one _does_ on the beach?" replied the brunette standing up to meet the blonde at eye level. The other girl raised an eyebrow, _Yeah… definitely rich_, she thought.

"Well, maybe _one_ does that, but now there's two of us and I need help with my sand castle. You wanna give me a hand?" Regina looked at the girl suspiciously. Her clothes were definitely tattered and dirtier than the brunette was used to seeing, but she liked the girl's bright green eyes and long blonde hair, plus she never really _had_ a friend and she seemed nice… strange, but nice.

"Okay," said the brunette hesitantly.

"Great!" screamed the blonde excitedly, she grabbed Regina's hand and took off for her semi-demolished sand castle. When they reached it, Emma flung herself down into the sand and started babbling about building strategies. She looked up at the brunette who remained standing and smiled at her hesitation, "Well, come on!" she said grabbing her hand and yanking her down to the sand.

Regina readjusted herself, placing her knees together, resting her body on her shins as she picked up a red plastic cup and started delicately filling it with sand. She glanced over at the blonde who sat on her butt, her legs spread wide open, hands hastily filling up an old tin can with sand. She smiled watching the other girl's easy-going actions, she moved as if she didn't care what other people thought. Regina wanted to relax into a more comfortable position, but she suddenly felt the desire to impress the other girl.

"What's your name?" asked Regina suddenly realized she didn't know what the blonde called herself.

"Oh," said Emma stopping her movements and slapping her palm to her forehead with a big laugh, "I'm Emma," she said holding out her sand covered hand. Regina placed her smooth hand in Emma's and gave it a firm squeeze with a curt shake.

"Regina Mills," she said formally making the blonde's lip curve up. She shook Regina's hand with exaggerated gusto.

"Ah yes, Madame Regina Mills, I am the Lady Emma Swan," she said with a goofy proper voice. Regina blushed and gave a small laugh recognizing how formal she must have sounded. "Well, Madame Mills… do let us build our dream palace!" smirked Emma with a deep bow of her head as she held out a few rusty washers.

"Oh indeed, Lady Swan, let's," replied Regina dipping her head and taking the washers.

The two girls settled more comfortably in the sand, Regina now on her butt and gathering and building sand with as much gusto as the blonde. They talked and laughed for hours as the castle grew bigger and bigger, now littered with cigarette butts, rusty washers, shells, pieces of plastic, old chess pieces, and colored glass from broken beer bottles.

As Regina lay on her back laughing at Emma, who had taken to putting a bucket on her head and running around like a knight, the sun slowly began to set in deep waves of red and yellow. Regina shot straight up when she saw the sun setting and scrambled to her feet.

"Oh no!" she cried holding her hands to her mouth. Emma stopped and turned to see the worried look on her new friend's face. She dropped the bucket and walked to her side pulling a scrawny arm across the brunette's shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been gone for _hours_, mother is going to _kill_ me!" Regina said with a panicked voice.

"Hey, I'm the knight here, and I'm saying nobody is killing you," said Emma puffing out her chest trying to make the brunette laugh. Regina snorted but couldn't be pulled from her panic. Emma moved in front of her and took both her hands in hers. "Hey," she said softly making Regina's downcast head tilt upwards to meet the blonde's, "Let me help you back to your hotel," Emma said with a warm smile.

"Oh you don't have to do that," said Regina, a few tears leaking from her eyes.

"Come on," said Emma wiping a couple tears from Regina's cheek with her thumb, "I'm a knight, it's what we do," with another warm smile, Regina laughed and nodded her head.

With one last look at their giant sand castle, the two girls started their trek along the beach, hand-in-hand.

"So this hotel of yours," said Emma, "fancy or cheap?" Regina snorted at the thought of her mother in a cheap hotel.

"Definitely fancy," she said casting her eyes to the side slightly embarrassed, but Emma didn't seem swayed by this revelation at all.

"Okay fancy, hmmm… is it white or made of red brick?"

"White,"

"With a huge fountain out front and purple flags?"

"Yes, that's it!"

"Ah the Monteleone! The head cook there is super nice, I go there on Tuesday nights and wash dishes for a big plate of fancy pants food. I know exactly where it is," said Emma casually. Regina was a little taken aback by how cavalierly Emma said she worked for food. She's thirteen and wouldn't dream of being in a situation where she had to work for food, but it didn't seem to bother Emma. She said it as if she were commenting on the weather.

They continued to walk along the beach hand-in-hand talking about any number of topics. Emma purposefully attempted to keep everything as silly and upbeat as possible whenever she noticed Regina biting her nails. As the hotel came into view, the pace of the two girls slowed. Neither of them wanted the day to end. Regina fed on Emma's brilliant green eyes and her carefree personality. It relaxed her and made her feel like she could just be herself without consequence.

Emma watched Regina talk and loved how quickly she opened up to be more of a sassy prankster than Emma imagined. As the two fell into a fit of laughter, Emma watched Regina's eyes sparkle and her smile light up her whole body. _She's like a clam_, Emma thought_, tough to break open, but on the inside is the most beautiful pearl in the entire world_, she smiled to herself as she watched Regina laugh. As the two reached the front entrance of the hotel, they stood outside awkwardly- neither of them wanting to leave each other.

"I don't think I've ever had so much fun in my life," said Regina with a big smile.

"Me either," said Emma slightly blushing.

"Thank you, Lady Swan," said Regina with a wry smile and short curtsy.

"Any time, Madame Mills," laughed Emma dropping to a low bow.

The two girls stood holding hands and smiling at each other until a cold chill whipped up Regina's spine as a smooth, dangerous voice echoed from the lobby.

"_Regina,"_ said the stern voice of her mother. Emma felt Regina's entire body tense up, her hands clutching to Emma's so tightly they turned slightly blue.

"It'll be okay," whispered Emma. Regina simply shook her head, terrified to turn around and face her mother's eyes.

"Thank you, Emma," she said and placed a quick kiss on Emma's lips sending sparks up and down the blonde's body. Regina couldn't believe she'd done it, let alone in front of her mother, but for that tiny second she felt beautiful and complete. It was her first kiss, and judging on the shade of Emma's face it had been her first kiss too. They smiled and giggled before Regina felt icy fingers wrap around her bicep.

"Regina Mills, come with me. _Right. Now_," said the dangerously vicious hiss of her mother's voice. Emma looked up to see Cora Mills, a tall, slender woman with long, perfectly placed red hair. On her neck she wore a string of diamonds larger and more brilliant than anything Emma had ever seen in her life, with matching diamonds and gems plastered across her hands. She met the woman's eyes and a chill ran through her body, the woman's eyes were like embers threatening to inflame and swallow Emma whole.

The woman jerked Regina away from Emma and started dragging her into the lobby.

"Wait," Emma called after Regina as she pushed into the lobby after them, "how can I find you?!" Regina struggled against her mother, and turned around yelling something that sounded like an address, but Emma couldn't hear what she was saying over the noise in the lobby.

"What?!" she called straining her ears and trying to push around the crowded room. Regina shouted something back as her mother pushed her into an elevator.

"Write me!" cried Regina before the doors slammed shut in Emma's face.

The last Emma saw of Regina was her tear-stained face calling to her to write as her mother sunk two gem encrusted hands into her shoulders. She slammed her fists on the side of the closed elevator and cursed herself for not hearing Regina's address.

Every day for the next week Emma planted herself outside the hotel from sunrise to sunset, with the hopes of seeing Regina again- but she never saw her. A few days later she was moved to another foster home in Boston, and not a day went by that she didn't think of that day on the beach.

…..

As the years rolled by, the young girls from the beach grew into women. Their recollections of the beach slowly fading into the catalogue of passing memories as their individual paths weaved around never crossing- until a cold autumn night in Boston, when a small brunette boy with green eyes knocked on Emma Swan's door.

….

Emma Swan gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles resembled a snow-capped mountain range. She half listened to the excited babble of the ten-year old kid sitting in the passenger seat of her yellow VW bug. Just a couple hours ago he had knocked on her door and flipped her world upside down by telling her that he is the son she gave up for adoption ten years prior. Sneaking quick glances every now and then, she started seeing more and more physical similarities between herself and the young boy.

When his chatter finally died down as he started observing the lights of the cities they passed by, Emma took a deep breath and asked him the question that had been nagging her since he told her who he was.

"Hey kid, um- don't take this the wrong way or anything, but why did you come find me?" She figured the answer would be obvious, like many adoptive children who seek out their birth parents- the answer she knew she herself would give if she ever found hers: _I just want to know_. Henry remained silent for a few moments, which made Emma scold herself for being so direct with this kid. Stealing a glance to the passenger seat, she noticed his face didn't look offended, but rather contemplative as if he were searching for the right words to say.

"Well, I want to know you cause you're my mom," he began, "but there's another reason and I don't think you're ready for it yet," he said simply. Emma raised an eyebrow. _What could this kid possibly know that would surprise her more than being reminded that she gave someone up for adoption?_

They sat in silence for a few miles until they reached the highway exit that leading to Storybrooke, Maine. _Storybrooke_, Emma read and internally scoffed, _what a weird name, typical Maine_.

"We're almost there," Henry whispered excitedly, his body tensing up with anticipation as they crossed the town line, a smile spreading across his face.

_Seriously? How can this kid be this excited to come home to parents who are probably going to slaughter him for running away? He's definitely got guts, _thought Emma as she glanced over at Henry's legs happily swinging back and forth as he giddily drummed his fingers on the backpack resting on his lap.

"It's the next house down," says Henry pointing out the window. Emma pulls up to the house Henry's pointing at and feels her jaw drop.

She surveyed the giant house with wide eyes, taking in the immaculately carved pathway edged with finely cut shrubs leading to a large, pristinely white house with a large door surrounded by a colonnade. Her eyes drifted upwards to a black-railed balcony situated before a squeaky-clean triptych of windows, and then back down to the door that suddenly swung open. Henry smiled and jumped out of the car and ran up the pathway to meet a darkened figure that wrapped its arms around him.

"Here we go," Emma exhaled loudly as she unbuckled and emerged from her car ready to explain the situation. She walked up the pathway to find a slender, brunette woman in a grey dress holding Henry tightly, her face buried in his shoulder.

"Where have you _been_?" came the brunette woman's panic-stricken voice from Henry's shoulder.

"I found my birth mother," said Henry with a large, hopeful smile. At this, the brunette silenced and pulled back from her son and looked up at the blonde who stood before her. _This is impossible_, she thought.

"Emma?" she whispered, one hand clenching Henry's shoulder while the other flew over her stomach. Emma stood completely still, her eyes frantically searching the brunette's face, suddenly recognizing every little feature. _No way_, she thought.

"Regina?" she breathed, suddenly feeling weak at the knees. Henry looked back and forth between his mothers with a knowing smile as they stared at each other.

Regina's eyes looked the blonde up and down over and over before finding her eyes and getting lost in a bright green swirl of nostalgia. Surely this couldn't be the same little girl from twenty years ago who wore dirty, ill-fitted clothes, showed her the best day of her life, and then proceeded to break her heart with silence. _Those eyes_, she thought. They remained the same brilliant green eyes from the past: full of life, adventure, comfort- but they somehow seemed less joyous as they had before. They seemed a little darker, tainted by years of rejection, loneliness, and heartache.

Emma surveyed the brunette and took in every twist, turn, and indent of her body. It was _definitely_ not the same body of the girl she knew from the beach, but when she met Regina's deep brown eyes, she knew it was the same sassy, mischievous sweetheart who held the title of her first kiss. But something in her eyes had changed, she seemed colder and less open- her eyes had grown weary with heartbreak, carved roughly by manipulation, anger, and sorrow.

"_You're_ Henry's birth mother?" said Regina, breaking the thick silence of nostalgia that hung in the air between them. Emma's rush of excitement from finding her childhood love suddenly sunk into fear as she saw Regina's eyes grow black, her body tensing up in defense and anger.

"Yeah?" said Emma with a nervous smile. Regina pursed her lips and straightened her back before turning to Henry and bending down to meet his eyes. Holding his chin firmly in her hand as she looked directly in his eyes. An act she had done for years, but as she looked at his green eyes now, she saw the eyes of the little blonde girl from the beach, causing her breath to hitch.

"I need you to go inside, Henry," she said with a stern voice, "we'll discuss what you've done later," he looked disappointed, but nodded. He stepped around his mother and turned back to face Emma, giving her a double thumbs-up and a quirky smile causing her lips to curve slightly upwards. He ran into the house and shut the door, leaving the two women alone.

"This is crazy," said Emma with a short laugh. She looked up expecting to see the beautiful smile Regina once shared with her, but was met with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow.

"How did he find you?" said Regina plainly, her arms folded in front of her chest, eyes tightening.

"Um, some ridiculous website, I guess… but I mean, Regina, can we talk about _this_?"

"About what, dear?" Emma looked baffled by the brunette's reply.

"_This_! You, me, here, together, sharing a son!"

"We do _not_ share a son. He is _my_ son. He has been ever since _you_ abandoned him, a talent you seem to have a long history cultivating," replied Regina, her eyes beginning to grow eerily similar to the burning embers her mother's held in Emma's memories.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" said Emma furrowing her eyebrows and casting a disbelieving look at the brunette.

"It means, dear, that you should do what you're best at and simply _disappear_," retorted Regina without skipping a beat. Emma's heart dropped.

"Is that what you think I did? You think I just _left_ you? Regina, that's not it at all, I-" but Regina held up her hand and shot a silencing look straight into Emma's eyes.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. You've already done enough damage, and I wont have you poisoning my son," and with that, she turned on her heel and walked to the door of her mansion.

"I'm not leaving, Regina!" called Emma from the walkway. Regina simply turned the doorknob and walked in her house, "Good night, Madame Mills!" shouted Emma.

Regina halted, her back still turned to Emma, she looked like she was going to turn around, but instead entered the mansion and slammed the door.

Leaning against the back of the door, Regina felt the pool of tears build at her eyes and whispered, "Good night, Lady Swan."

Emma stood rooted to the spot Regina left her in. _What the hell happened to her?_ She thought as she pulled up all the memories of the wonderful 13-year old Regina who made her entire world feel complete for a few hours twenty years ago. She then remembered every little detail of the brunette's terrifying mother. She recalled the way Regina nearly broke into fearful tears at the mere mention of her mother, the way her body tensed and her hands clutched desperately to Emma's when she heard her mother's voice, she remembered the way her mother grabbed her, the way her mother literally _dragged_ her away. She felt the pang of horror shoot through her system as she now analyzed her memories from a 33-year old's perspective and it all made sense, everything came together.

The feeling she had when she saw Regina crying on the beach was rekindled, brighter and more determined than before. She looked up at Regina's house and vowed to douse the flames she saw in her eyes, and restore the beautiful, sweet light she once loved.

"I don't know what made you be this way, Regina," Emma said out loud as she stared at the mansion, "but I'm not going to leave until I set things right. It was no accident that the child I gave up for adoption ended up in your home. This time, your mother's not here to rip you away from me, and this time- I'm not leaving you, no matter what," she turned on her heel and prepared to sleep in her car parked in the street in front of Regina's house.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is mostly Emma, there will be a lot more Regina in the following chapters- fear not. Thank you for reading/reviewing!**

Emma awoke to the sound of soft tapping against her car window. Her eyes peeled open and she momentarily forgot where she was until her muscles began to spasm as she shifted in the small backseat of her car. She looked up to the source of the tapping, but her windows were completely fogged. Rubbing her eyes and sitting up with a quick snap, crackle, and pop from her bones- she reached to the front seat to unroll her window expecting to see Henry's giddy face on the other side.

Instead she was greeted with the clothed torso of an adult, and as her eyes focused- she noticed the sheriff's badge donning his chest.

"Aaaah… maaaan…" she groaned as she sat up.

"Excuse me, ma'am- could you step out of the car please?" came the young Sheriff's voice. He didn't sound like your typical middle-aged ticket-friendly cop, so she figured she might get out of this one with a little smooth talking. Pulling her sweatshirt over her head, she stepped out of the car- finding herself eyelevel with the rather attractive, young, bearded Sheriff.

"Good morning," he said with a pleasant voice.

"Morning," groaned the blonde running a hand through her hair.

"I'm Sheriff Graham and I'm placing you under arrest for trespassing," he said with the same pleasant tone, though his face seemed like he was a bit agitated and reluctant to carry out his duty.

"Oh come on, seriously? Can't a girl just sleep in her car when she has no where else to go?"

"She may, but not in front of the mayor's house," replied the Sheriff ushering her to turn around.

_Mayor?_ Thought Emma. She looked up at the white mansion to see Regina peeking out of one of the top floor windows. She gave a half smile before shaking her head and placing her hands behind her back, slightly wincing at the feeling of the handcuffs tightening around her wrists.

The sheriff escorted her into the backseat of his cruiser and shut the door carefully. _This guy clearly doesn't have any experience arresting people_, she thought to herself as she watched him slowly walk around to the driver's side of the cruiser.

She stole one last glance up at the mansion to find the window Regina was looking out of unoccupied. She sighed and rested her forehead against the window.

The ride through town was quiet. No words were exchanged, and the sheriff didn't seem to be a big fan of music, plus the radio was completely silent- but Emma didn't know what she expected in a small town at six in the morning.

She looked out the window, slowly investigating all of the little beach town shops, convenience stores, salons, diners, and knick-knack shops. The town seemed like a normal small-time Maine beach residence, but it somehow seemed different. She was never one for small towns, they were always much too personal- she always preferred the anonymity awarded by living in a large city; however, something felt strangely charming about this particular place. Maybe it was because she knew Regina was in charge of it.

They reached the sheriff's station where she was casually placed in the one and only cell without being questioned, photographed, or even processed. She found it all rather bizarre, but wasn't about to push her luck by reminding the sheriff of duties that would involve staining her permanent civil record even more than it already was.

She sat down on the cot with a huff, stretching out her limbs- trying to forget how naturally being in a cell came to her. She was fourteen the first time she found herself in a jail cell. She had broken into a records facility to see if she could find anything on the whereabouts of Regina Mills, only to be caught red handed and placed in custody before being handed over to her two, short tempered foster parents.

The next two years she was in and out of various juvenile detention centers. After her first stint in jail, her foster parents decided she was more trouble than the check that came with her, so they packed her up and sent her back to the orphanage. She was placed with another couple who were decent, but their house was overcrowded with hungry-eyed children who, like Emma, had also been given up by their parents.

The house stank in the summer and froze in the winter, forcing Emma out of the house where she'd wander the streets and various buildings- always looking for one person: Regina. Everywhere she turned she saw Regina, in her beautiful blue dress- her dark hair falling in soft folds over her shoulders, brushing gently across her cheek.

In parks, swimming pools, amusement parks, libraries, museums, and restaurants- she'd search for Regina. Pressing her nose against the crystalline glass of Boston's finest restaurants, peering through the fences of well-known private schools… she looked. Always for Regina.

By the time she was sixteen, Emma ran away from a foster home- for the last time. She vowed that she would never be put back into care and launched out into the world to make something of herself despite her shortcomings. Her search for Regina dissipated from seeing her everywhere, to quickly double glancing at every other brunette that passed her by until eventually- her memory of that day on the beach slowly faded into the back of her mind, waiting to resurface.

Now that she lay in jail with her only her thoughts, memories she hadn't thought of for twenty years began to reappear:

"_I like your hair," said Regina with a coy smile and a short blush. Emma looked up from her pile of seashells, her eyes like two large, green saucers. _

"_Th-thanks. It's okay, I guess," she stuttered rubbing a piece between her index finger and thumb. She wasn't used to being noticed let alone complimented. Her cheeks flushed with color and she all of a sudden felt extremely nervous around the brunette. _

_Regina smiled again, causing Emma's stomach to plunge into her throat. _

Emma smiled nostalgically recollecting how incredibly flattered and monumental that one simple compliment had been. She was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of the jail doors opening.

"Okay, Emma Swan," said Graham with a smile on his face, "time's up."

"Oh, um… okay," said the blonde as she clamored off the bunk and onto her feet, "So, just like that?"

"Just like that," smiled Graham. Emma found herself completely confused, yet baffled by the cavalier nature in which she had been apprehended and "processed," but she wasn't about to complain. Brushing off her jeans and shirt, she swung her jacket on and exited the small cell with a shy smile, stepping out into the cool, fresh Maine air.

She remembered seeing a diner on her way to the station and began heading that direction.

…

The bell on the door clanged as she entered- she suddenly realized all eyes were on her. Cautiously, she meandered up to the bar and took a seat where she was greeted by a tall, brunette woman in bright red.

"Don't mind them," she said gesturing towards the other occupants, "it's a small town and they're not used to outsiders," Emma nodded her head, "let alone outsiders who allegedly camp in their car outside the mayor's house," the brunette finished with a small smirk.

"Right, well… has news traveled about what I'd like to drink?"

"Coffee, black with a couple sugars," said the brunette without hesitation. Emma's jaw dropped.

"_Seriously?_"

"No, I've just been a waitress all my life, so I can tell these things,"

"Well, coffee it is," the brunette smiled and began walking away.

"Two sugars?" she said over her shoulder.

"Yuuup," sighed Emma. She looked around at the curious faces in the diner with a brief, nervous smile before turning back to the counter.

"Hey, you stayed!" came a bright young voice beside her. She looked to her right to see Henry clamoring up to sit on the stool next to her.

"Hey, kid- shouldn't you be in school or something?"

"On Fridays I come to Granny's after school to do my homework and wait for my mom to finish work," he said as he waved at Ruby. The brunette smiled and with a wink started to work on his hot chocolate.

They got their drinks and Henry launched into a giant monologue catching Emma up on the past ten years of his life. She sipped in silence with a small smile, secretly delighted in the situation. Looking over at the boy next to her, she couldn't help but allow her smile to spread to her eyes as they watched the baby she had given up for adoption jump up and down on his stool and swing his arms animatedly- attempting to recreate every event in his short life he'd deem "major."

As happy as she was in that moment, she couldn't help but feel a little sad and confused. This little boy was obviously a happy kid, so that means that even though Regina seems miserable and rigid- she's still a good mother. He's healthy, intelligent, funny, and happy… everything she wished for the baby she let go. So, what was it that made Regina this way? As these thoughts crossed her mind, Henry started settling down and she snapped back to attention.

"… and that's basically everything that's happened in my life, how about you?" he said with a large smile

"Well, I mean…" she drifted off in silence before deciding to quickly switch the subject, "Hey kid," Henry looked up with bright eyes that mirrored her own, "does your mom have, you know, a husband or wife or something?" she buried her face in her mug as her cheeks blushed, but her eyes remained plastered on Henry's face.

His excited eyes slightly dimmed and looked downwards, "No," he mumbled, "my mom _had_ a husband, but he died before she adopted me," his head remained facing downwards before suddenly his whole demeaner seemed to switch in an instant. His head tilted upwards, one eyebrow arched, a small smirk played across his face as he asked, "_Why?"_

"No reason," said Emma without hesitation, slapping money on the counter for their drinks, "How about I walk you home, hmmm?" Henry nodded vigorously and jumped from his stool, waving goodbye to Ruby and Granny.

…

They walked happily down the street discovering everything that they had in common- including video games, burgers, and an extremely boisterous laugh complete with a short snort when they laugh particularly hard. As they approached the mansion, neither of them noticed Regina who stood in the upstairs window watching them. She had just gotten home when she heard the riotous laughter of her son and someone else with an equally loud laugh echo up the street.

Keeping herself half-hidden behind the drapes in the upstairs window, she watched her son and Emma talk excitedly about _god-knows-what_. They jumped around the lawn, shooting fake guns, dodging imaginary bullets, and laughing hysterically. Instead of embracing the warmth that slowly started to fill her body from her heart, Regina pushed it away and grew livid. Emma was manipulating her son just as she had done to her decades ago. She fumed and marched down the stairs.

"_Henry,_" came her loud, authoritative voice. The young boy's head swung up and he snickered as he climbed off Emma who was laying on her stomach on the grass. Seeing Regina in the doorway, she quickly jumped up and brushed her clothes off.

Without a word, Regina motioned to Henry to get inside with a flick of her head- but she kept her eyes fixed on Emma. A sort of alpha-female-protective-mother glare that sent daggers into Emma's heart. Henry turned to face Emma, he tugged her jacket, making her drop down towards his face as he whispered in her ear.

"She wants you around, you know," he whispered, "she just doesn't want to admit it,"

"Hey, wait, kid- how do you know?" she whispered back, but he was already a few feet away. He swiveled around and shrugged her shoulders, giving her a sly grin that looked all-too-much like the grin she used when rejecting guys at a bar. Before she could say another word to Henry or Regina, the brunette slammed the door once her son was inside.

The blonde ran her hand through her hair with a sigh and turned around to find her car still parked where she left it. Opening the door, she plopped herself in the back seat and picked up a novel she had crunched under the passenger's seat and began to read. Regina can try to arrest her all she wants, she's not leaving.

….

Emma's eyes snapped open as she heard a familiar tapping noise on the window of her car. With a groan she rolls down the window expecting to see the Sheriff.

"I brought you dinner!" came Henry's friendly voice from outside the car. Emma sat up quickly and opened the door. There Henry stood with a plate of pasta, salad, and a roll. She smiled and took the plate began to eat.

"Oooohwoow," she groaned. Henry's smile simply grew larger.

"I know, my mom's an amazing cook," he smirked. He looked back at the house nervously, "leave the plate behind the potted plant to the right of the door and I'll grab it in the morning, I have to go before my mom finds me," and without another word he was off.

"Thankth, kid," stuttered Emma with a mouthful of some of the most amazing pasta she's ever eaten.

Regina watched Henry give Emma a plate of food and couldn't help but be touched by his generosity. She proud of him, yes, but she was also angry with him. She couldn't understand why he would go through such lengths to find her. Weren't they happy? She had made sure he had everything he could ever want, but he still had to go find _her_. She knew that the question of his birth parents would come up eventually, but why… _why_ did it have to be _her_?

She watched Henry start to make his way back to the house. Turning to finish cleaning in the kitchen, she wiped away the sting of abandonment and prepared to act oblivious to her son's actions as he snuck into the house and casually walked into the kitchen to help her clean up.

Outside, Emma watched the domestic scene through the window from her car. She knew it was creepy, but she felt a strange bond between herself and the two people just out of reach. She found herself longing to transport herself to the other side of the glass.

"One day," she whispered to herself as she watched Henry splash his mother with sink water and she laughed throwing a towel over his face, "one day…" she sighed as she sat back in her seat and felt sleep overwhelm her.

….

_Tap, tap, tap, tap…_

Emma groggily sat up in the backseat of her car.

"Kid, I left the plate where you said," she groaned as she wiped her eyes.

"Emma?" came the Sheriff's voice. _Shit_.

She rolled the window down and saw Sheriff Graham's familiar melancholic smile looking at her.

"Good Morning," he said.

"Is it?" she said with a sigh. He gave a short laugh.

"Could you step out of the car please?"

Pulling her jacket over her shoulders and slipping on her shoes, she experienced déjà vu as she stepped out of her car and faced the sheriff.

"So," she sighed, "what's the bullshit charge this time?"

"Stalking," he said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and looked over at the mansion where Regina was ushering Henry into the car.

"_Stalking?"_ she moaned towards Regina, "_Really?_" the brunette merely glanced at her before entering her car and driving away.

Graham slips the cuffs on her wrists and puts her in the back of the police cruiser for another awkwardly silent ride to the police station where she was, again, placed in the cell without processing or questions.

The phone was ringing off the hook and she barely saw Graham as he ran in and out of the office looking flustered. A couple hours later, he came back to the station and handed her a coffee. Pulling up a chair next to the cell he slumped down and began chugging his coffee.

"So," he said casually, "I'm sorry you have to keep waking up like this, but Mayor Mills calls in- I have to answer,"

"Look, I know this seems like a really, really weird situation- but I want you to know that I'm really _not_ a threat,"

Graham nodded slightly before sitting up and looking Emma square in the eyes.

"The mayor and I have been friends our entire lives, we grew up together. I want you to know that as a friend I would do anything for her, and as Sheriff I would do everything legally possible to protect her. For these reasons I ask you, why are you here?"

Emma inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly. She spun her long and complicated tale as Graham sat listening closely. She talked about the beach- though not in detail, and about how Henry found her before trying to explain her impressions of Regina's current state.

"Regina aside, Henry wants me in his life- and now that I've gotten to know him a bit, I can't just _leave_, especially after seeing Regina after all these years. This is all so complicated to try to explain, but all I know is that I have a feeling that I need to be here," she concluded looking Graham in the eyes.

He sat back in silence and finished his coffee. Crushing the cup with his hand, he tossed it across the room into the trashcan and stood from the chair. Unlocking the cell, he stepped aside so Emma could exit.

"I trust you," he says grimly, "I do- but I can't allow you to stay in front of the mayor's house,"

"But I…" he cut her off with his hand.

"The mayor has a rough history, and it seems like your time with her has been the only light in her life aside from Henry and…" he cut off briefly as a look of sadness passed across his face, "… I trust you. I don't want anyone getting hurt, that is my main concern. Believe it or not, I was aware of you two meeting at the beach- though I didn't know it was you until just now, but your stories match up,"

"You knew about the beach?" Emma asked curiously.

"Yes," Graham nodded sadly, "we all did… but that's a story for another time," he said hastily as his phone started to ring, "I have to go," he stated as he picked up his keys and holster, "Go to this address and ask for Mary Margaret," he said as he handed her a slip of paper.

"Mary Margaret? Are you sending me to a nunnery or something?"

"No," he smiled with a brief laugh, "she's a school teacher,"

_Close enough, _thought Emma.

"She's looking for a roommate, space is hard to come by in this town," he said as his phone continued to ring, "I better not have to do another wake up call tomorrow morning, Swan" said the sheriff as he slipped out of the station leaving her alone.

…..

A few minutes later, Emma found herself in front of the door of a loft apartment on main street. Before her second knock fell on the wood, the door swung open and a small brunette figure engulfed her in a crushing hug.

"OH, my goodness, you must be Emma Swan, Graham told me _all_ about you, I am _so_ excited for us to be roommates, we'll have so much fun!" sputtered the brunette as she pulled Emma into another rib-cracking hug.

She patted the young woman's back, politely asking to be released from her death grip. _Oh Christ what have I gotten myself into…._ Murmured the blonde in her head


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know, I know… it's a short one and it's been a while since I updated. I'm sorry. I'll make up for it. **

"You did _what?!_" screeched Regina into her phone.

Graham winced and held the phone away from his ear.

"She's more than qualified, available, and I've been completely swamped- plus there's room in the budget," he replied calmly.

"She's erratic, unreliable, and I find spending a few measly years as a bailbonds person to be hardly qualifying for a deputy position," hissed Regina, "Not to mention she's a criminal."

"Regina, I made those arrests as a courtesy to you and our history," he heard a scoff on the other side of the line, "we both know she's harmless."

"I'll be the judge of that," huffed Regina before slamming the phone down. Rubbing her temples, the mayor circled around her office trying to calm herself down. She'd spent years trying to forget that insufferable blonde, and now years later- she's swept into town and turned everything upside down.

"There has to be a way to make her leave," she whispered to herself.

_Then again_, she thought, _Emma is living with Mary Margaret… and that aggravating pixie may chase her out of town before I do anything_. She smiled to herself as she sat back down in her office chair.

….

"Good Morning!" cried Mary Margaret as she burst into Emma's room with a tray of food.

Emma shot straight up. When her eyes finally adjusted, she saw her brunette roommate standing in front of her with a tray full of breakfast. She placed it across Emma's lap and stood back beaming.

"Wow, um… thanks," mumbled Emma, "Is this going to be an every day thing?" she asked as she tried to calm her quickly beating heart.

"No, I just figured since it's your first day on the job… why not breakfast in bed?" replied the brunette with a chipper tone. Her face dropped as she saw Emma simply stare at the spread before her, "is something wrong? Did I do something to offend you?" she asked nervously.

"No, no, no… this is… great, actually. Thank you," replied Emma forking a few scrambled eggs and potatoes.

"Great," replied the brunette, her smile returning to her face, "well I'm off to school, good luck!" And as quick as she came, Mary Margaret was gone.

…

Emma walked slowly to the station. Since her roommate had woken her up practically at the crack of dawn, she found she had a lot of time to kill and decided to get a closer view of the city she'd be policing.

"Hey!" came an excited voice behind her. She turned around to see Henry scrambling down the sidewalk waving frantically at her, a huge smile plastered across his face. He caught up to her and practically barreled into her, "Ruby at the diner said you got a job as deputy!"

"Sure did," said Emma, a large smile unconsciously spreading across her face as she looked down at the little boy whose arms clung around her.

"So you're staying?"

"Yeah, kid," replied Emma ruffling his hair.

"Awesome!" he said giving her another quick hug.

"Don't think your mom is very happy about it though," murmured the blonde.

"Oh she is, but she doesn't know it yet," replied Henry with a smirk before spinning around and bolting to the bus stop, "I'll come by after school!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Emma waved as she laughed and shook her head. _That kid's adorable… a little delusional maybe, but adorable_, she thought.

When she reached the police station, Graham handed her a cup of coffee and gave her a brief tour of the area.

"So when do I start kicking some ass?" Emma asked with a wry smile.

"Soon," laughed Graham, "but not today, I'm afraid," he said with a smirk as he watched Emma's face drop, "There's a lot of paperwork that needs filing, and I figured you should do it so you can get a little more familiar with the administrative process as well as learn a few laws while you're at it,"

"That's a nice way of putting it…" murmured Emma. Graham gave a short laugh before turning on his heel and exiting the building. The blonde placed her hands on her hips and sighed at the mountain of paperwork in front of her before plunging into it.

After piles and piles of traffic violations and public indecency reports, Emma picked up a folder that seemed much larger than the rest. She flipped it open and perked up as she read the header of the first file:

_Mills, Regina: Missing Persons Reports_

Emma's brow furrowed as she went to turn the page, but was stopped by her stomach growling. She stood up, tucked the file under arm, and began walking to Granny's.

…..

She sat at the diner sifting through the files. Report after report of Regina going missing only to turn up again. Double-checking the dates, Emma noticed that every report happened the year she and Regina met- her stomach dropped at the thought of what that might mean. She thumbed through all the reports until she got to the last one, which stood out because it was different than the rest.

_Mills, Regina v. Mills, Cora_

_Domestic Dispute _

_Charges: dropped_

Emma sat back as a flood of panic ran through her body. She closed the file and pressed her hand on top of it- a pang of guilt echoing around her stomach. Something had happened to Regina… and someone wanted her to figure this out.

Right at that moment, Graham walked through the door of the diner. _Bingo_. Seeing Emma, he smiled and came to join her at her booth.

"How's it going?" asked Graham with a smile.

"Confusing," replied Emma making Graham cock an eyebrow. He looked down and saw Emma's hand pressed to the file.

"Oh," he whispered.

"Yeah. Oh," said Emma flatly, "Is there something you want to tell me?" Graham opened and closed his mouth.

"Well, I…" but he was cut off by a tall, blonde man wearing an apron who came out with a large sandwich and a plate of fries, placing it in front of Emma.

"Hi, I'm David Nolan," he said with a toothy smile sticking his hand out. Emma took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Emma Swan," she said as pleasantly as she could.

"Graham," David said nodding towards the Sheriff who nodded back with a relieved smile.

"It's good to see you, David- but I have to get going," said Graham patting the blonde man on the shoulder before exiting the diner.

Emma looked after him with furrowed brows, _You're not getting away this easily_, she thought.

"So, Emma," said David beaming at her, "Mary Margaret told me you just moved in with her and today's your first day on the job,"

"Yup," replied Emma with a small smile as she nodded her head.

"Well, in that case- lunch's on the house- just don't tell Granny," he whispered.

"Who?" inquired Emma. David subtly pointed towards the counter where a tough old woman stood polishing a crossbow. Emma raised an eyebrow, "Oh."

"Anyway, it was great meeting you- have a good day," he said patting her shoulder and moving back towards the kitchen.

Emma spent the rest of the workday filing all the other paperwork on the desk, keeping Regina's file separate and sliding quick glances towards it. Graham hadn't come by the station even once, she figured he was avoiding talking about the file that _happened_ to find its way into her stack of paperwork.

Around three, Henry dropped by and together they walked out of the station towards Mifflin Street.

Before either knew it, they were walking up the path to Henry and Regina's home. They had spent the entire time talking about movies, books, and T.V. shows. Emma had discovered that the kid was incredibly intelligent for his age and loved nearly anything and everything he could get his hands on. As they approached the mansion, the door swung open to reveal an annoyed-looking Regina.

Henry smiled to her as he waved goodbye to Emma and ran into the house. Regina watched him run into the foyer and up the stairs before turning around and closing the door behind her. She stepped onto the porch and faced Emma.

"I don't know what you want with me, but whatever it is- stay away from my son," she said sharply.

"Hey, I just want to get to know the kid, it has nothing to do with us," said Emma defensively.

"Us? There is no _us_," replied the brunette folding her arms, "Why can't you just go away?" she hissed as she stepped closer to the blonde.

"You know why I wont leave," replied Emma stepping closer so they stood only a foot apart.

"You're infuriating."

"Funny, I could say the same about you," replied the blonde inching closer, "Why wont you just _talk_ to me? That's all I'm asking."

"I have my reasons," murmured the brunette as she glanced to the side.

"Come on, Regina- this is ridiculous," sighed Emma only inches from the brunette's face.

"No, what's ridiculous is how you just barged into my life _again_," replied Regina looking Emma square in the eyes, "what's ridiculous is that you- of all people- gave birth to my son, what's ridiculous is how you just wont take a hint and leave, what's ridiculous is…." But her sentence was cut off by Emma's lips wrapping around hers.

The blonde folded her arms around Regina and poured everything she had into their embrace. Regina held back for a moment before melting into her arms and returning her serenades, her lips expressing a sweet longing and ages of sorrow.

The brunette grabbed at Emma's jacket, deepening the kiss as she slid her tongue between the blonde's teeth. Emma smiled and returned in kind, moving her hands around the brunette's back, tightly clutching at the fabric of her blouse.

Suddenly Regina pushed Emma back and the blonde went tumbling off the porch.

"Leave," breathed Regina- her eyes furious, "Now," she hissed through gritted teeth before slamming the door.

…..

Regina leaned against the door after shutting it practically on Emma's face. She experienced a rollercoaster of emotions pulling her in all directions as she closed her eyes trying to find some sort of balance.

She couldn't let this happen.

She wouldn't let this happen.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, friends. Sorry for the long wait, my motivation's been down the shitter- but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, flashbacks are in italics… that tends to be the trend in fics, but thought I'd mention it just in case you get confused.**

Ever since their kiss on her front porch, Regina took extreme measures to avoid Emma. Every morning before taking Henry to school, she'd glance through the blinds of her windows looking for any signs of blonde hair or a yellow bug before quickly ushering Henry out the door and into her Mercedes. She was disgusted with how she'd so dramatically tailored her schedule in order to avoid the Deputy, but their shared moment on the porch had awoken too many feelings she'd spent years trying to suppress.

At night, Regina would huddle in her bed- clutching her pillow tightly to her chest as memories long forgotten, slowly began to emerge.

"_Stop this foolishness, Regina!"_

"_Attempt to run away one more time and I'll…"_

"_I will remove that insipid orphan girl from your mind one way or the other."_

As her mother's voice echoed up from memories long forgotten, Regina felt long overdue tears trickle down her face. She bit down on a pillow attempting to stifle her cries as grief overtook her- carrying her late into the night.

….

It was nearly midnight as Emma sat at the kitchen counter thrumming her fingers over Regina's police file. She couldn't wrap her mind around what had possessed her to just fling herself on Regina. Though she didn't regret kissing her, the blonde felt small pangs of guilt shoot through her stomach every time she saw the mayor avoid her.

She nearly jumped when she heard the door to the apartment slowly creak open revealing a tiptoeing brunette.

"Mary Margaret?"

The young brunette leapt into the air with a small cry.

"Oh, Emma…" she breathed as she clutched her chest, "What are you still doing up?"

"Work," replied the blonde flatly. Her eyes fell to Mary Margaret's hands, which were now frantically buttoning up the top three buttons of her cardigan, "What have _you_ been up to?" asked Emma with a smirk causing the brunette's cheeks to flush.

"Just… a walk," stuttered Mary Margaret, "You know, some fresh air at night is said to increase your life expectancy five percent- and I truly value, you know, life and…" Emma cocked an eyebrow, "Okay, fine," huffed the brunette plopping her purse on the counter and slumping into the seat opposite Emma, "I was with David."

She buried her head in her arms with a loud sigh.

"Ooooh, the teacher and the cook- what a thrilling romance," joked Emma.

Mary Margaret's head flew up to counter Emma's taunt, but the words were caught in her throat as she looked down and saw the name on the side of the file under the blonde's fingers.

"What… what are you doing with that?" said the brunette, her tone suddenly becoming very serious.

"You know about this?"

"Of course, everyone knows about…" the brunette bit her tongue, silently scolding herself. Emma eyed the young woman suspiciously.

"Knows about…?" inquired Emma.

"Nothing," replied the brunette folding her arms, "forget I mentioned it," she said as she forced a toothy smile across her face.

"Okay," sighed Emma, "You need to tell me what the hell is going on here. I need to know why everyone keeps giving me these looks, why Graham wanted me to see this file, and why Regina is acting so weird around me. I mean, okay she's been weird lately because I kissed her, but…"

"You _what_?" gasped Mary Margaret, "What happened? Did you really kiss her? What did she do?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down. Quid pro quo, okay? Before I tell you anything, I need to know some things first. This town acts like a freaky Stephen King novel like it has some huge secret."

Mary Margaret bit her lower lip and sat back in her chair.

"Okay," sighed the brunette, "What do you want to know?"

"What's the deal with the missing persons reports for Regina?"

The brunette shifted uneasily in her chair.

"I don't know if you know this, but Regina and I used to be best friends growing up."

"Really?" said Emma, her eyebrows raised to her hairline, "You always run away or duck into alleys when you see her coming- I always thought you were terrified of her."

"Well, now- yes, but we grew up together. Me, Regina, David, Graham, Ruby, Da…" Snow's voice caught in her throat.

"Who was that last one?"

"No… no one," stuttered the brunette with a small cough. Emma eyed her suspiciously, but decided not to press the matter just quite yet.

"So, you all grew up together then?" said Emma receiving a slight nod from the anxious woman across the counter from her, "Regina doesn't seem to really get along with anyone in this town except for Graham- does that have something to do with the missing persons reports?"

"It's all tied together, yes… but not entirely. You see, in small towns like this one- nobody has secrets. Not _real_ secrets, at least. Things have a way of manifesting themselves in subtle gestures and small whispers. The whole concept of not knowing what happens behind closed doors is both true and not true in this case."

"Can we try to be a little less cryptic, please?"

"I'm sorry, Emma, but this is a very difficult conversation for me to have- I'm just trying to find the right way of explaining it all."

"Oh," whispered Emma sitting back, she silently scolded herself for not thinking of how this conversation may dig up old skeletons for the woman across her, "I'm sorry- go ahead."

"Growing up, Regina had what many people would call a picture-perfect life. She had two parents, a large house, vacations every summer, she excelled in school, and any other extra curricular activity she engaged in," Mary Margaret took a deep breath, "But her home life was anything but picture-perfect. We knew her mother was cruel, and Regina showed all the signs of… well… abuse…" Emma felt her chest tighten into a knot, her hands clenching into fists as Mary Margaret continued…

"Cora had no friends in the town and kept to herself. None of us really knew where she came from because she wasn't from Storybrooke, she just showed up with Regina's father one day and nobody questioned it. She was completely absorbed with, yet oddly neglectful, of Regina. When we were in school, Regina would be on the verge of a panic attack whenever grades were posted, and we all knew it was because of her mother, but none of us knew what to do. We didn't know exactly how bad it was."

"So she tried to run away?" asked Emma, not noticing the red marks forming on her palms from her fingernails.

"She did, but it wasn't until one summer. The summer that changed everything…"

Emma felt her gut push and pull- she hoped Mary Margaret wasn't going to tell her that it was, in fact, the summer Regina met Emma that caused the mayor so much pain- but she knew this had to be where it was going.

"Regina and her parents went off to spend a month at the beach in New Hampshire," the brunette looked up from her clenched hands towards Emma, "And Regina… met someone…" she trailed off as her eyes pierced Emma's- communicating the words she was too nervous to say.

"Me," whispered Emma. Mary Margaret nodded, her gaze returning to her hands. Emma pressed her hands to her face, letting out a long breath, "You knew about me before I got here, didn't you?" The brunette nodded again.

"We all did," she whispered, "Regina and her parents returned earlier than normal- her mother seemed absolutely furious, but Regina had something different in her eyes. It looked like something had sparked new life into her," the brunette paused for a moment with a slight smile remembering the sparkle in Regina's eyes.

"What happened?" murmured Emma, her head still buried in her hands.

"We all met up in our secret hiding place in the forest- David, Ruby, Graham, and… and myself," she cleared her throat nervously, "Regina told us about how she'd met a blonde girl on the beach named, Emma- and how she had found her savior," an icy shiver of guilt coursed the blonde. She clenched the side of her head harder as Mary Margaret wove her tale.

"She was so full of life as she talked about the beach, for the first time in our lives together she seemed like she had fight in her, real fight. Like she had finally discovered her self worth. She told us all that she gave you her address and that you were going to write to her and one day you'd meet again," the small smile on the brunette's lips faded as a dark cloud of painful memories washed across her face.

"Regina was worried that her mother would intercept any letters from you, so every day at the crack of dawn she'd wait by the mailbox until the mailman came, and every day we'd see the life in her eyes dwindle further. By the time school started, Regina was practically back to the same Regina we'd known, though a little more closed off. One morning she didn't show up for school, and you have to understand that Regina never, _never_ missed a day of school. Even if she was sick, her mom forced her to class. Graham and I were worried about her and snuck out during lunch. We looked in the windows of the Mills mansion and saw Cora flinging everything across the house in a terrible tantrum- but Regina wasn't there. The police came down the street and we had to hide, when Cora answered the door, her emotions completely took a one-eighty," the brunette shivered slightly at the memory, "She had this crazy fire in her eyes and was fuming, but when she answered the door to the police, her eyes were watery and full of worry, her voice trembling even… it seemed so fake. She told the police that Regina was missing and they left right away."

Emma rubbed her temples as she recalled her own brief interaction with Cora Mills. The woman seemed to flip emotions at the drop of a hat- and each Cora Mills she saw terrified her.

"After school, we all went to look for her- we went to our secret hiding place, but she wasn't there… we even walked all the way to the town line, but when we got there we saw the police cars drive by heading back to town, Regina was in the backseat. She pressed a fist to the window as she saw us and gave us a determined nod. Only she knew what would happen when she got home, but that fight we had seen in her earlier on in the summer had returned."

Mary Margaret stood up from her seat and walked to the kitchen freezer where she pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Removing the cap she took a large swig and coughed as she swallowed. Moving back to place on the other side of the counter, she put the bottle between herself and the blonde, who graciously picked it up and took a healthy dose herself. After one small sip, the brunette continued.

"I lived across the street from Regina, but I didn't dare go to her house that day like I usually did. Instead, we all waited in my room until dark when Regina would give us the signal with her flashlight to meet in our secret spot. A couple hours after sundown, we got the signal and ran to the forest. Regina showed up a few minutes later completely out of breath."

"_Regina, what happened are you okay?" questioned the young Mary Margaret practically jumping on Regina, flinging her arms around her neck. The brunette flinched a bit under the embrace of her best friend, causing Mary Margaret to immediately release her and step back to examine her friend. _

"_What did she do to you?" asked a tall, sandy-blonde boy reaching out for Regina's hand. She took it and squeezed slightly to show she was okay. _

"_It doesn't matter, I'm alright," breathed Regina straightening up, adjusting her coat around her body, "Thanks, Daniel," she whispered to the sandy-blonde boy who nodded in response. _

"_Where did you go?" asked Graham sitting on a small log apart from the group._

"_When you didn't show up for school, Mary Margaret and I came to your house. The police came and your mom told them you were missing," said David searching the brunette with his eyes, needing visual confirmation that she wasn't hurt. _

"_We were really worried about you, Regina," said Ruby striding towards Regina, placing a comforting hand gently across her shoulders, "Especially after we saw you in the back of the police car."_

"_Yes, and hopefully that wont happen next time…" nodded Regina looking around at her friends. _

"_Next time?" exclaimed Daniel, "What do you _mean _next time?" his gaze locked with hers, full of concern. _

"_Something must have happened," stated Regina firmly, "She wouldn't just abandon me, and I know it." _

"_You mean," started Mary Margaret holding a small hand over her mouth, "Emma?" _

_Regina nodded as she took a large inhale through her nose, finally catching her breath. _

"_You were going to find Emma?" asked Ruby, "Regina, I don't know if that's a good idea…"_

"_I don't care if it's a good idea or not. I can't live with my mother… besides, Emma needs me- and I… I need her." _

"_But you can't just run away!" said Mary Margaret, tears forming in her eyes. _

"_I don't expect you all to understand, but it's something I have to do." _

"_You shouldn't do this alone," exclaimed David, "I'll come with you."_

"_Me too," said Daniel stepping forward. _

"_So will I," said Ruby giving Regina's shoulder a tight squeeze. _

"_No, you can't… I…" Regina started. _

"_No excuses," said Mary Margaret stepping forward, "we're coming with you."_

"_No, look, It's not that I don't appreciate it- but your families need you," sighed Regina with a sad smile, "David, your mother would die if you left her, and Daniel- you're an only child, your parents would be heartbroken. And Granny needs your help, Ruby, she relies on you," Regina shifted her gaze to her best friend with a small smirk, "And you can't come with me because your parents would tear up the entire planet looking for you and you know it," she smiled as Mary Margaret gave a small laugh and nodded. _

"_That leaves me, then," muttered Graham standing up from where he had been seated on the log, "My parents are gone on another one of their 'business trips.'" He said as he rolled his eyes, "They left a message on the answering machine the other morning saying they'd be another month." _

"_I'm sorry, Graham," said Regina moving towards him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. _

"_It is what it is," he shrugged, "And I would feel much better coming with you to find Emma. Even though I don't know her, I saw how she made you feel- the courage she's seemed to have given you, and I admire that. I want to help you. Plus, I did take all those wilderness survival classes the last couple summers and I spend most of my days in the woods anyway, so how about it?" he said with a warm smile. _

"_Okay," she smiled as the group moved in for a tight embrace. _

…

Mary Margaret paused to take another large swig of whiskey. Emma sat back in her seat completely catatonic.

"So," she whispered, "Regina ran away to… to find… me," she said, her voice staggering.

"Yeah," said the brunette flatly, "She and Graham left a week later, but were picked up trying to check into a hotel the next town over. It got more and more difficult to sneak out, but somehow they managed it and every time they got a little farther, but were always caught. Each time Regina returned, we saw her determination slowly recede, her movements became slower as if her body was constantly sore- until one night as I was going to bed, I heard a crash and a terrifying roar echo across the street…"

Tears formed in Mary Margaret's eyes. Emma slid the nearly-gone bottle of whiskey towards her, but she merely shook her head.

"I'll never… forget… that night," she stuttered as tears poured from her eyes, her breath hitching. She tried to wipe the tears and take large breaths, but it was futile, "I heard Cora screaming… it was louder than I've ever heard anything in my life. I looked across the street to Regina's house, but could see nothing through the windows- and I'm so grateful I couldn't…"

She trailed off once again attempting to quell the fresh load of tears now streaming down her cheeks. Emma held her hands to her mouth, every cell in her body hanging on to each word from the brunette's mouth.

"The noises…" the brunette muttered, "So many of them… crashing, breaking, shattering… and above it all… Cora's voice. Her voice that seemed to take on the power of a thousand soldiers going to war, the depth and ferocity of a large thunderstorm, the stinging of every cruel word ever uttered… and it was all aimed at my best friend."

The brunette sat silent for a minute before taking another shot of whiskey and continuing.

"I screamed for my parents, but they were already running out the door and across the street. My father banged on the door as my mother screamed for Regina, after a couple seconds Regina's father opened the door, pushing them off the steps, trying to usher them away from the house. He started telling them to leave it alone before another crash echoed from the house and he ran back inside, slamming the door."

"_Regina! Hold on, sweetheart!" cried Mary Margaret's mother from outside the front door. Leopold charged back into the house, dialing the police as his brunette daughter sat curled up looking out the window with wide eyes. _

_Leopold ran back next to his wife in front of the front door of the Mills mansion. _

_The tiny brunette pulled her eyes from her window and ran down to the phone, her fingers shaking so hard she could barely dial the number. _

"_Hello?" came a sleepy voice. _

"_David! Get here right away!"_

"_What is it? What's wrong!"_

"_It's Regina! Something awful's happening! Bring Ruby and Daniel, I'll call Graham," she slammed the phone down quickly and ran to the window in the back of her house that faced Graham's bedroom window. Picking up one of the rocks she kept by the windowsill, she flung it across the small yard where it hit the frame of the boy's window. _

"_Graham!" cried Mary Margaret, he appeared a moment later already dressed, "It's Regina!" And without pause, Graham disappeared from the window and was running from his backdoor, hopping over the fence into Mary Margaret's yard. _

_She ran down the stairs and into the front yard where she met Graham- Ruby, Daniel, and David arriving soon after as police sirens blared down the street, their lights flashing a terrifying blue and red as they sped up to the Mills residence. The neighbors all shuffled out to their lawns as the firetruck and ambulance appeared. The police broke down the door and disappeared inside, emerging a few minutes later with a small brunette huddled in a blanket. _

_Her friends tried to yell for her, but Regina was quickly ushered into the back of the ambulance as their voices drowned in the noise of the sirens. A few minutes passed and Regina's father, Henry Mills, exited the house in handcuffs, escorted by a group of policemen. Cora Mills leaned against the side of the door, a hand pressed over her mouth as she shook her head in fraudulent shock and worry. _

"_No! You have the wrong person!" shouted Graham as he ran towards the police who were placing Regina's father in the back of a police car, "It's Cora! It's Regina's mother! Take her! Please! You have the wrong person!" the police shoved him away. _

"_He confessed, kid- now get out of the way unless you wanna come along too," said a gruffy police officer pressing a meaty hand into Graham's chest, forcing him backward. _

_Graham's eyes looked about, wild with rage- his gaze fell on Cora, who allowed herself for the smallest of seconds, to flash him a repugnant smirk before resuming her counterfeit mask for the police. Graham clenched his fists and locked his jaw, completely lacking all the words he wanted to fling at the woman whose made another human's life a living hell. _

…

"She never tried to leave again after that. Regina was in the hospital for a couple weeks," said Mary Margaret grimly, "We weren't allowed to see her, but I know Daniel found a way in. There was no keeping him from Regina," said the brunette with a sad smile.

"Wait, who's Daniel?" asked Emma removing her head from her hands. The brunette looked up in shock, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Oh," she whispered, "One of our friends… he is… was…. One of our best friends, especially Regina."

"Why are you nervous to mention him?" inquired the blonde.

"It's too painful a story, and what happened to Daniel is my fault… but I can't… I don't think I can talk about that right now," she said firmly.

Emma nodded her head and sat back in her seat, finishing off the last drop of whiskey.

"So, that's what happened to Regina," stated Emma.

"Yes," whispered Mary Margaret, her tear-ridden eyes cast downward.

Emma let her face drop back to her hands. After a few moments of silence, her back heaved as her shoulders shuddered- her body becoming consumed with tears.

"It's all my fault," cried the blonde slamming her fist on the counter.

"No, Emma…"

"It is!" shouted the blonde flinging her head up to meet the brunette's eyes, "I should have found her, I should have never stopped looking for her… it's all my fault. Everything her mother did, what her father didn't do… everything that happened to her is my fault!" shouted the blonde as she flung the empty whiskey bottle across the room, the shattered pieces flying across the room, "I should have _been_ there for her! I met her mom, I saw what she was like, but I didn't try hard enough- there's so much more I could have done…" cried the blonde as she slumped from her seat, sliding down the side of the counter where she rested on the floor, her knees pulled to her chin.

Mary Margaret stood from her seat, bending down to Emma- stroking her hair as the blonde shook with furious tears.

"It's not your fault, Emma," said the brunette calmly, "Please don't put all of this on yourself," she whispered as the blonde shook her head, "Regina chose to do what she did despite the consequences she was well aware of."

"I brought her so much pain," moaned Emma through her buried face.

"No, it's not pain you brought her, Emma. You gave her the one thing she had lived her entire life without… hope. You showed her love in a way she never thought imaginable, you unlocked all of the deep, dark corners of her soul that none of us could reach and breathed life into them. What happened to her that night was all Cora."

"But she wouldn't have done it had it not been for me," muttered the blonde.

"Don't be so selfish, Emma," said Mary Margaret, her tone suddenly forceful, "Regina did what she had to do for her own well-being. For her own sanity, she needed to stand up to her mother and show her just who she is. You simply gave Regina the courage and determination to do something she needed to do her for entire life. You gave her the tools necessary for the final time she ran away from home years later, and to top it all off- through some bizarre twist of events, you gave Regina her son Henry. And he's the one person in this world right now who keeps Regina breathing. You gave Regina so much more, and I know now that you still have a lot more to give."

The blonde raised her head from her arms and looked at the brunette woman next to her.

"You really think I can still help her?" she asked.

"I think," said Mary Margaret in a brighter tone, "you two will help each other. We've all had enough darkness and despair in our lives, it's time to heal and push forward."

Emma nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks- the two women lifted each other up.

"Is that why you wanted me to move in with you?" questioned the blonde.

"What do you mean?"

"You knew who I was when I got to town, why did you want me to live with you?"

"Because somehow I've always known that you and Regina would find each other again, and after learning that you're Henry's birth mom, well, that basically cemented it in my mind. So, I'm here to help as much as I can."

Emma nodded with a slight, but grateful smile towards the brunette.

"You know what would help?" asked the blonde.

"What's that?" replied Mary Margaret.

"Coffee," said the blonde flatly with a quick sigh and a smile.

"Then it's off to Granny's we go!" chimed Mary Margaret grabbing her coat and flinging Emma's towards her.

"I'm buyin'," mumbled Emma as she opened the door for the brunette.

"Good, and you can also tell me about that kiss- don't think I've forgotten," chimed the brunette as she exited the apartment making her way down the stairs.

"Damn, I'd hoped you'd forgotten," sighed Emma.

"Quid pro quo, Ms. Swan!" shouted Mary Margaret from the bottom of the stairs.


End file.
